The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has unveiled a digital platform to address complaints by students and the public.
The platform, known as e-ticketing, is an electronic solution that facilitates quick response to students’, public’s complaints and other enquiries.
This was made known at a briefing on the campus by Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Council Prof. Peter Okebukola.
He described it as one of the institution’s learner support services, adding that since the system came on board, over 100 enquiries/queries were responded to in a day.
Okebukola noted that with the institution’s World Bank Centre for Excellence, students of the university have unrestricted access to the state-of-the-art technology hub.
He said the centre focuses on development of human capacity and research in digital solutions that would lead to utilisation of technology for education.
“The NOUN Africa Centre for Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL), a special academic centre being sponsored by the World Bank, the Association of African Universities (AAU), and the National Universities Commission (NUC), has continued to blaze the trail in the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to enhance learning,” he said.
Okebukola said in its drive to take qualitative education to Nigerians,the institution has continued to expand with the establishment of more community study centres in the six geo-political zones of the country.
“The advantage of this policy is that more qualified Nigerians now have easy access to university education.The latest of which are the over 13 study centres established in Kano State. Two centres are to be established in Lagos State,in Ikorodu and Badagry,” he said.
Okebukola, however, said with 103 centres spread across the country, the university was making efforts to get to other communities.
The Council Chairman, who stated that the institution had graduated 1,229 inmates, said it was committed to making enrolment reach one million in few years. He said the institution currently has 600,000, with 150,000 active.
He said NOUN was partnering NUC to train staff. Hence, 4000 members of staff have been trained.
Okebukola said solar panels have been introduced at study centres to supplement the conventional source of power since the national grid may not always be available due to operational issues.
Okebukola, who noted that the university’s first set of Law graduates performed well at the Law School, said the institution had integrated instructional videos into all courses to strengthen multi-modal delivery system and learner support base.